This tour offers you a unique opportunity to get to know the lowlands of the North Sea. We show you lovely Amsterdam and old Dutch towns like Gouda and Willemstad.
You cross the border into Belgium to discover the Belgian pearls of Antwerp, Ghent and on top of that: medievel Bruges!

All meals are included aboard your cruising barge hotel. Some spring departures include a visit to the world famous bulb fields and flowers of Keukenhof Gardens.

Enjoy one of the best cycle path networks in the world, with hardly a car to worry about! We have a selection of barges to choose from, of varying comfort levels and price points.

DAY TO DAY ITINERARY 

Saturday:
Early afternoon, a transfer by bus from Amsterdam Airport to Ghent in Belgium. Embarkation and checking in aboard the hotel barge. The tour leader will invite you for a walk through the wonderful town centre.

Sunday: cycling ± 15 km
By train you travel to Bruges where your tour leader will acquaint you with this unique town. Till mid-afternoon you are free to discover Bruges.In the months of April and May a ride through the centre of Bruges in a horse-drawn carriage is planned (see: exclusive). Till halfway the afternoon you are free to discover Bruges. By train you transfer to Dendermonde where the barge will stay for the night. In the evening there’s a short test ride in and around Dendermonde.

Monday: cycling ± 45 km
From Dendermonde you ride through the pretty Flemish countryside alongside the river Schelde to Antwerp. In the afternoon your guide invites you for a short city walking tour and afterwards you have free time to explore the town centre. In the evening you may wish to visit some bars and have a good taste of famous Belgian beers.

Tuesday: cycling ± 45 km
In the morning we will cycle from Antwerp over the Belgian-Dutch border to the large Kreekrak locks. From there a sailing trip over the wide waterways of Zeeland takes you to the beautiful walled town of Willemstad.

Wednesday: cycling ± 40 km
The first stretch of today’s route you will sail aboard your hotel ship. Then by bike you visit the beautiful old Dutch town of Dordrecht and the world famous windmills of Kinderdijk. The overnight stay is in the cheese town of Gouda, where you may wish to join your tour leader for a short city walk in the evening..

Thursday: cycling ± 40 km / 25km
You enjoy an easy bike ride right through some real Dutch meadowlands and end your trip in a small village called Oude Wetering. On most departures in April and May today a visit to Flowerpark Keukenhof is planned, hence the cycling itinerary will be the shorter option. You may enjoy the quietness of the rural Dutch countryside before you arrive in busy Amsterdam tomorrow.

Friday: cycling ± 25 km
On the banks of the river Amstel you cycle in the direction of and then across the Amsterdam town centre to the mooring place of your barge. In the afternoon there’s time to explore the lively Dutch capital and do some shopping. In the evening there’s a city walk and you may wish to make a roundtrip of the famous Amsterdam canals.

Saturday:
End of your bike and barge tour and check out by 9.00am.

NOTES: Due to Belgian Waterway Laws, on some barges it is not possible to stay onboard the barge while cruising the Belgian canals and waterways. You must either cycle, or travel on land to the next docking location. Contact us for details

RATING – Easy

The total length of the route by bike is about 195 km. Almost all bike paths are level and well-lit. These are lovely bike paths along well-signposted bike routes, suitable for all levels of cyclist.

You are welcome to take time off and stay aboard ship during the course of the tour if you wish.

AIRPORT / TRANSFERS

Flights are best in/out of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. On some departures transfers from the airport to/from Ghent are included.

For barges departing directly from Bruges its also OK to fly into Brussels and take the train from there as the docking location is just 200m from the Bruges train station.

For Amsterdam departures, there are trains from the terminal into Central Station every 20 minutes, at a cost of approx. Euro 8.00, with the barge docked right beside the Central Station.

 3+ star MS Tijdgeest or similar

Since 1897 the TIJDGEEST has been sailing with tourists, in the early years as a passenger ship on the river Rhine in Germany. More than 100 years later, in 1998, the ship was completely renovated and rebuild into a nice hotel ship. In our ship classification system the TIJDGEEST belongs to class B, the Convenient class. On the lower deck you’ll find the 14 air-conditioned cabins, all with private facilities. A number of cabins are provided with twin beds, in other cabins you sleep in bunk beds. On the upper deck a very spacious living/dining room with panoramic view. Due to the availability of a WIFI point you may use your laptop aboard. A laptop for general use is also available.

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4* Comfort barge – MS Lena Maria, MS Fluvius, or similar

Constructed in the winter of 2005/06 the LENA MARIA is so spacious that even when fully booked there’s room enough for everybody. The ship’s saloon is air-conditioned. The meals are served in the dining room on the upper deck. You can also enjoy your drinks on the sun deck. All 12 luxurious cabins on the LENA MARIA offer lower level beds and a very nice bathroom. If you like to sail the luxurious way, this ship is the place to be.

On board the FLUVIUS are a total of 22 cabins for max. 44 guests. All cabins have shower + toilet, 2 lower beds (partly in a right angle), TV and air-conditioning – individual adjustable. On the Upper deck are four premium twin cabins (ca. 12 m²) with a double bed (140 x 200 cm) and a high window, the upper part of the window may open; plus 3 x 2-bed-cabins ( ca. 11 m²) with picture window (cannot be opened). The Main deck has 14 x 2-bed-cabins (ca. 11 m²) and 1 x 2-bed cabin (ca. 10 m²). Windows on main deck cannot be opened.

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4+ star Comfort Plus barges – Magnifique I, II & III;  Fleur; Zwaantje

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SCHEDULE  & PRICE – Convenient Barge (3+ Star)

Departure Dates 2019:   

Ex Amsterdam:  April 6*,  20*     May 4*,  11*      June 22    July 27    Aug.10,  24     Sep. 7

Ex Bruges: April 13*,  27*    May 18      June 29    July 6    Aug. 3,  31   Sep. 14

* A visit to Keukenhof Gardens included. 

This tour includes: 

• accommodation in a double cabin with private facilities and two split level OR one double bed
• bedding and towels
• breakfast, packed lunch, and 3-course dinner daily
• tour guide
• bicycle with handbrakes, 5 speed gears, and pannier.
• bike insurance
• info pack and tour maps
• entrance fee Windmills at Kinderdijk
• Train ride Ghent – Bruges – Ghent
• Bus transfer Ghent – Amsterdam Airport
• Several City Walks

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SCHEDULE  & PRICE – Comfort Barge (4 Star)

Departure Dates 2019: 

Amsterdam to Bruges – Season A: 20 Apr–27 Apr

Amsterdam to Bruges  -Season B: 18 May–25 May / 01June–08June / 15 June–22 June / 29 June–06 July / 13 July–20 July / 27 July–03 Aug / 10 Aug–17 Aug / 24 Aug-31 Aug / 07 Sep–14 Sep / 21 Sep–28 Sep 

Bruges to Amsterdam – Season A: 28 Sep–05 Oct

Bruges to Amsterdam Season B: 27 Apr–04 May / 25 May–01 June / 08 June-15 June / 22 June-29June / 06July-13July / 20 July-28 July / 03 Aug-10Aug / 17 Aug-24 Aug / 31Aug – 07Sep / 14Sep-21Sep

Important Note: A slightly different route AND inclusions to what is published above applies to sailings on the Fluvius. Details available on request.

This tour includes: 

All of the above however your barge is of a superior standard plus the accommodation is in a more spacious double cabin with two lower level beds 

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SCHEDULE  & PRICE – Comfort Plus Barge (4+ Star)

Departure Dates 2018:   Every Saturday from April 28 to October 13

Every Wednesday from May 23rd to October 10.

NOTE: The itinerary is slightly different to what is posted above. Contact us for details.

This tour includes: 

– Tour and 7 nights accommodation on board  from/to Amsterdam or Bruges

– Full board; 7x breakfast, 6x picnic lunch during bike tours, 6x three course dinner (1x dinner in Antwerp excluded);

– Use of bed linen and towels (change of towels daily possible);

–  Daily cleaning service of the cabin;

– Welcome drink, presentation of barge and crew and briefing on the first evening;

– Tour leader (multilingual) for fully guided cycling tours, daily briefings of the bike tours

– Printed instructions and detailed maps for individual daily bike tours, 1 set/cabin;

– Daily coffee and tea till 4 PM.

– Rental of a 7 speed hybrid style touring bike, with pannier and lock